The service, called Realta at Charles Penzone, is available at the Grand Salon in Gahanna/New Albany. Penzone's service is one of only a few in the city, and Shaw said she's been seeing increasing interest.

The salon has offered permanent cosmetics for about five years, and Shaw is the only staffer there trained to perform micropigmentation services. She got her upper and lower eyelids done so she could offer a first-person perspective, and said she loves the convenience.

Her clients are busy women, active moms, ladies who are starting to lose natural pigmentation, and cancer survivors or people with other diseases that cause hair loss.

"A lot of people tell me how much time they're spending on their brows every morning - like 20 minutes," Shaw said. "That's a big chunk of your day, if you could sleep in 20 more minutes."

The "permanent cosmetics" are really semi-permanent - the full color usually starts to fade after about five years. Shaw advises her clients to wear sunscreen at all times and to don a hat and sunglasses as necessary to prolong their looks.

She uses Premier Pigments, an all-organic line. The colors and looks are fully customizable, and can be as natural or dramatic as the client chooses.

"Some people just want to make their lips look a little fuller ... or they've lost that lip line," Shaw said. "But some people want red or fuchsia - that's something that they wear every day."

Typically, though, because of its permanence, people pick a neutral, everyday look that can be enhanced with additional makeup.

The instruments used in applying the makeup are reminiscent of those found in a dentist's office, like a bright light on an adjustable stand, along with a tattooing tool wrapped in plastic.

But the room is dimly lit and comfortably warm, with framed art on the walls and soothing music playing over the speakers. Customers lie on a padded table and Shaw sits to one side, alternating between applying numbing ointment and dipping her applicator in ink.

The affected area is sometimes swollen for three or four days, and usually back to normal after about two weeks, Shaw said.

Each service also comes with a touch-up appointment, which can be used at any time to refresh the color or adjust the look, Shaw said.